Post by Old Bucks Admin on Dec 27, 2008 17:18:16 GMT -5
Old Bucks never feels more like a family than during Christmas when brothers, sons, and daughters come out to play with the club and make things lively for all. One could even regard Week 14 as a family feud in the way the Blankstein clan faced off against the Herr clan, except that the two Herr daughters were over on Red, pitting themselves against Dad and brother Brooks like two Hatfields fighting for the McCoys. Nor was this an isolated example. Even the Cerbones were split up, Alex on D for Blue and Rich in goal for Red. We didn’t recognize Rich at first until we recalled the saying, “By his JOFA helmet ye shall know him,” and then it was like recognizing Lincoln by his stovepipe hat. Rich was one of two substitute goalies for the night. As for the Blue goalie no one knew who he was, whence he came, or whither he was to go. But he had the equipment and a will to play hard and for that he was greatly appreciated.
For all Blue’s pretensions, they were an utter dud when it came to going the distance against a Red squad with two chicks and a goalie not used to playing goal. Perhaps they were plagued by too much success, for they built a four goal lead through the game’s first half and seemed confident that it was no fluke, but a product of their infallible talent. But then a fluky thing happened and Blue took a turn for the worse that got worse at every turn. First Bob Freiling, ever the bold soldier, evaded the Blue D on two occasions by carrying the puck down the boards and then veering in toward the goal to score with sharp-angled shots that were as decisive as dunks. This drew Red to within one. Then Jim Heffern poured in three goals in two shifts and that put Red up for good. Blue’s effort to come back stalled when half the team left the game early, their motivation, like their holiday cheer, having ebbed away with the tide of the game. Blue’s disappointment was only surpassed by that of Larry Johnson, Bill MacDowell, and John Lupisella, who showed up an hour and a half late and missed the game altogether. This afforded everyone a good laugh. Jeff Skinner cracked open several bottles of sake, everyone toasted his last game with the club, and a merry time was had by all.
For all Blue’s pretensions, they were an utter dud when it came to going the distance against a Red squad with two chicks and a goalie not used to playing goal. Perhaps they were plagued by too much success, for they built a four goal lead through the game’s first half and seemed confident that it was no fluke, but a product of their infallible talent. But then a fluky thing happened and Blue took a turn for the worse that got worse at every turn. First Bob Freiling, ever the bold soldier, evaded the Blue D on two occasions by carrying the puck down the boards and then veering in toward the goal to score with sharp-angled shots that were as decisive as dunks. This drew Red to within one. Then Jim Heffern poured in three goals in two shifts and that put Red up for good. Blue’s effort to come back stalled when half the team left the game early, their motivation, like their holiday cheer, having ebbed away with the tide of the game. Blue’s disappointment was only surpassed by that of Larry Johnson, Bill MacDowell, and John Lupisella, who showed up an hour and a half late and missed the game altogether. This afforded everyone a good laugh. Jeff Skinner cracked open several bottles of sake, everyone toasted his last game with the club, and a merry time was had by all.